(Nanowerk News) Fujitsu
Microelectronics Limited ("FML"), e-Shuttle, Inc.("e-Shuttle") -- a joint
venture established by FML and Advantest Corporation ("Advantest") -- and
D2S, an emerging design and software company, today announced an agreement
under which FML and e-Shuttle will adopt D2S' advanced design for e-beam
(DFEB)* technology-starting with a 65-nm Low Power (LP) library-to result
in the creation of test silicon to refine and validate DFEB technology for
the 65-nm, 40-nm and below nodes. e-Shuttle will produce test chips using
D2S' advanced DFEB design and software capabilities, and FML's standard
cell libraries. These test chips will be manufactured using Advantest's
F3000 e-beam direct-write (EBDW) lithography equipment, which is already in
operation at e-Shuttle. As a result of this partnership, FML will be able
to manufacture ICs faster and more cost-effectively than is possible with
conventional e-beam direct lithography technologies.

The rising cost trends of advanced ICs show no signs of slowing unless
a new manufacturing approach is adopted. Especially with mask budgets
doubling at every node, the application range and market for low-volume
ASICs (custom ICs) continue to shrink, with future profitability of many
applications anticipated to be threatened. Without the need to rely on a
lithography breakthrough, D2S' advanced DFEB technology maximizes and
enhances the existing e-beam technology of the F3000 from Advantest. By
efficiently employing the EBDW approach, DFEB technology eliminates the
cost of masks and can speed time to market by shortening the
design-to-lithography process flow. In addition to the obvious advantages
this will deliver to systems companies seeking early prototypes for
testing, this type of DFEB technology can dramatically impact specific
application fields, such as computing, as well as a host of low- to
mid-volume semiconductor companies producing test chips, engineering
samples and design derivatives.

"We are uniquely positioned with e-Shuttle as the leader in
manufacturing chips using the DFEB approach," said Yoji Hino, corporate
executive vice president of Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited. "We expect to
see the benefits of this collaboration, in terms of reduced costs and time
savings, starting in 2009. This design-to-manufacturing collaboration will
facilitate a unique capability for virtually maskless ICs that will
increase design starts. Enabling the long tail of ASIC designs,
particularly for derivative designs, is beneficial for the semiconductor
industry overall."

"e-Shuttle has been in operation since November 2006 with the mission
to bring EBDW capabilities to low-volume production applications. This
collaboration further increases the throughput of our production line,"
said Haruo Tsuchikawa, CEO and president of e-Shuttle, Inc. "We view this
type of collaboration between design software, design, manufacturing, and
equipment makers to be essential for maximizing the capabilities of today's
fabrication technologies."

"The increasing cost of semiconductor masks is making low-volume
production of custom ICs economically unfeasible yet, in aggregate, this
segment can represent as much volume as the high-volume segment," said Aki
Fujimura, founder and CEO of D2S. "This long tail of the custom IC business
can be enabled through a virtually maskless DFEB technology. By not
requiring the development of any revolutionary new hardware technologies,
this design and software approach represents a low-risk, low-cost path to a
new production paradigm."

"The F3000 in production use at e-Shuttle will benefit from the
innovative DFEB technology from D2S," said Toshio Maruyama, president and
CEO of Advantest Corporation. "Advantest is improving the throughput of the
e-beam direct-write solution, and the DFEB technology will further increase
the throughput of our systems."

Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited (FML) is a large-scale integrated
circuit (LSI) manufacturer that provides highly reliable, optimal solutions
to meet the varying needs of its customers through LSI offerings including
ASIC/COT, ASSP and power management ICs, and flash microcontrollers. Along
with building on its wide-range expertise focusing on imaging, wireless,
and security LSI applications, FML also pursues initiatives for power
efficiency and undertakes environmentally-conscious countermeasures.
Headquartered in Tokyo, FML was established as a subsidiary of Fujitsu
Limited on March 21, 2008. Through its global sales and development network
with sites in Japan and other regions in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., FML
offers LSI solutions to the global marketplace. For more information:
http://jp.fujitsu.com/group/fml/en/.

About e-Shuttle

Headquartered in Kawasaki, Japan, e-Shuttle, Inc., was founded by
Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited and Advantest Corporation on November 1,
2006, to develop EBDW technologies for 90-, 65- and 45-nanometer process
technologies, and to establish and offer semiconductor prototyping
services, SiExpress(TM). (See the press release dated October 30, 2006.)
For more information, visit http://www.e-shuttle.co.jp/.

About D2S

D2S is empowering an era of new business opportunities for electronic
products by making low-volume silicon production cost effective at the 65
nanometer node and below. D2S' advanced design-for-e-beam (DFEB) design and
software capabilities maximize existing e-beam technology to virtually
eliminate the costs of masks and speed time to market by shortening the
design-to-lithography process flow. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the
company was founded in 2007. For more information, see
http://www.direct2silicon.com/.

About Advantest

Advantest Corporation is the world's leading automatic test equipment
supplier to the semiconductor industry, and also produces electronic and
optoelectronic instruments and nanotechnology systems, including
electron-beam lithography systems. A global company, Advantest has long
offered total ATE solutions, and serves every segment of the semiconductor
test industry: test, material handling, mechanical and electrical
interfaces, and software. Its logic, memory, mixed-signal and RF testers
and device handlers are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor
production lines in the world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest
established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has 40
subsidiaries worldwide. It is also affiliated with e-shuttle, Inc. More
information is available at http://www.advantest.co.jp.